Saving Each Other
by Cats070911
Summary: When a WW2 shell falls through the ceiling of a school for children with challenges and kills a man, Tommy and Barbara take the only action they can, risking their lives to save the children. It might not sound like it, but this is a fairly fluffy and suggestive piece to satisfy the whimpering cries of 'my biggest fan' always desperate for a story. (She knows who she is.)


**Author's note:** all usual disclaimers apply.

* * *

"Barbara. Wait. You can't get in... there." Detective Inspector Tommy Lynley sighed then stepped into the narrow lift beside his sergeant. Built in the 1920s, it looked like a converted dumb waiter rather than a passenger lift.

She snorted then looked up at him. "Wriggle back."

Tommy took an eighth of a step to his rear. A small bar along the wall dug painfully into his hip. "Wriggle where? I'm jammed in here."

"You didn't have to follow me. You could have taken the stairs."

He shrugged and gave her a quick smile. "I'm not having you cradling World War Two unexploded ordinance while I am safe in the stairwell. What would people think?"

She shook her head and tutted. "You heard Stuart. It's been safely sitting in the Headmaster's ceiling since it came through the roof in 1940, but he can hear liquid moving inside. It's the arming capsule with acid. Once it eats through... boom."

"It fell and killed him, and goodness knows what that has upset inside. Stuart examines dead people, not bombs. It could go off any second."

"Well, better one of us dead than both of us. Dying so that people think you are a gentleman is ridiculous."

"I am a gentleman. Or I try to be. And if one of us has to depart, it should be me. Give the wretched thing to me and get out."

Barbara seemed to pull it closer to her. "No."

"Barbara, don't be so damned... British."

"British?"

"Stubborn. A martyr to the Empire."

"Sir, we haven't had an Empire in over 60 years."

"Exactly. See how antiquated you are being?"

"Antiquated? I am being responsible."

"No, responsible is leaving it to the Ordinance Disposal Squad."

"We don't have time. You saw those kids. This is a school for children with challenges, not Eton."

Tommy snorted. "And they are evacuating the children now."

"Yes, but you heard the Matron. Their best effort was 43 minutes. My waters tell me we don't have that long."

"Your waters? Scientifically calibrated are they, these waters of yours?"

"Don't mock me. Stuart said we had 20 minutes. You do the math."

Despite his training screaming at him to wait for the experts, Tommy agreed with her assessment. It was too dangerous to leave. "Just give me the shell and leave. That's an order, Sergeant."

Her eyes widened. "An order?"

"Yes. It's what superior officers are forced to give their subordinates when they misbehave."

"Suit yourself." Barbara jammed her elbow against the button for the ground floor. The lift door clunked shut, and the lift descended. The shell was held solidly between their bodies as they stared at each other.

"Will you ever obey me?"

"No."

Tommy shook his head. "Stubborn fool."

"I'm a stubborn fool? Looked in the mirror lately?"

The lift slowed. They both turned to the brass dial above the door. It was hovering between 2 and 3. Clunk. Tommy expected the door to open, but nothing happened.

Barbara frowned at him. "Why did it stop?"

Tommy looked around then saw the sign. "One person lift. Max weight 110 kilograms," he read.

"Oh, wonderful. This thing weighs at least 20. I'm... with you in here we are overweight."

"They will realise we are stuck and override the braking system."

"Meanwhile, we're trapped in here with a potentially explosive device between us."

Tommy smiled, then shrugged. "There is always a potential explosion between us."

Barbara growled something under her breath then looked up and grinned at him. "Yeah. If this thing weren't here, I wouldn't mind being trapped."

"Me either."

"Really?"

He reached out and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I thought you realised that last night."

"I thought... too much alcohol... it was just, I dunno... an accident."

He smiled softly. "People don't accidentally..."

The lift shook. Tommy could hear clanking and banging outside before the lift door opened a few inches. Only the top third of the lift let in light. The rest was a red brick wall. "Are you two alright?"

He sighed. "Fine, Winston. Get this started so we can get rid of this bomb."

"No can do. The lift has jumped off the guide, and now it is stuck firm. You have to get out this way when we find something to wedge open this door."

"We don't have time," Barbara said. "We have to get this thing away from the children."

Tommy saw Winston move away. Two heavily booted feet appeared in the space where his face had been. They began to push, and the door inched open. It took two minutes before the door was three-quarters of the way to the other side. The man grunted then took a noisy breath. "Okay, Joe."

Hairy hands wedged a thick metal rod between the door and the surround. Winston's face reappeared. "The bomb squad is set up on the oval. If you pass the shell up, they will destroy it."

Tommy looked at Barbara. She shook her head. "We can't get it up there, Winston. It's between us, and we can't move."

"We have to try," Tommy told her. He put his hands by his sides and inched them under the shell. "Now, you can let go. I've got it. See if you can lower yourself so I can lift it out."

"Shift your feet to the left."

Tommy grunted as he shifted his weight. "Okay."

Barbara's body pressed hard against his before she started grinding her hips left and right as she slowly lowered herself. "Oh, for, ohhh... must you do that?"

"I can't go straight down." Barbara laughed softly. "Mind you, it seems to be getting tighter down here."

"Is it any wonder with you doing that?"

Her hand grabbed his thigh. "Hmm, reminds me of last night," she said in a hoarse whisper.

"Winston's just outside," he reminded her.

"Shame... ow!"

"What?"

"Your belt buckle caught my boo... breast."

"Lucky buckle."

Barbara wriggled faster, then turned her head. "Breath in."

Her face bumped over his groin in a prolonged and satisfying way. He swore that she paused and kissed the bottom of his zipper. "Okay, stop, Barbara."

"Stwop?" Her voice was muffled, but her hot breath tickled his manhood most delightfully.

"Yes. Stay right there but as I turn, see if you can follow."

Her answer was to press her face further into his groin. Tommy twisted so he could lift the shell. Barbara moved with him. "Okay, stop. Winston?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"I'm going to lift it. It's heavy so have people there to grab it."

"Right. Hang on." Winston's head disappeared and was replaced by two arms dressed in padded khaki.

Tommy rolled the shell up his body until it was level with his chest. He then pushed it as far from his body as the confined space permitted, and with a loud grunt lifted the shell just above his head. His arms ached with the strain. The muscles seemed to burn, and his biceps shuddered. Sweat ran down behind his ears and over his neck. His teeth hurt from clenching them too tight. Just as he felt his arms moving around haphazardly as he lost control, the weight disappeared. He released his grip, and they snatched the shell up and away. Tommy lowered his arms.

"Come up, Barbara."

She moved her face away from his groin just enough for her voice to be audible. "I rather like it down here."

"You can spend all the time you like down there later. Right now I need you up here." Tommy reached down and grabbed her coat and pulled. Barbara wriggled too, and soon her head was against his chest. There was no room to wrap his arms around her, so he leant them against the wall of the lift. "Look at me."

She lifted her head and smiled. Tommy bent down. His mouth touched her forehead then his lips sought hers. He vaguely heard Winston saying something, but Tommy had found his target. "Go away, please Winston."

"Ah, okay..." Winston said. Tommy ignored him, relieved that the lift door slid quietly closed.

Barbara stopped kissing him. "It's gone dark."

Only the faint red glow of a small emergency light allowed them to make out the shape and location of each other. "Are you scared?"

"No. Should I be?"

Tommy nuzzled into her neck. "Winston saw me kiss you."

"Are you scared?"

"No. I stopped being scared last night." He traced kisses along her jaw before finding her mouth again. Pressed together their bodies gently swayed left and right. His desires were obvious. "Do you know what I was thinking?" he whispered in her ear.

"I can imagine, but no, not here."

Tommy stopped moving. "I wasn't thinking about here in case..."

"Oh. I was. But... not practical."

"Straight back to yours again?"

"For more accidental sex?" Barbara was running her hands up and down the outside of his thighs.

"That's far too... nice. Please stop."

She laughed softly. "Really? You didn't object last night."

"We weren't on duty then."

"We're going to be in here for a while. It's a shame to waste it."

"I'm not going to waste it."

"But you want me to stop?"

"Yes." Her hands froze mid-thigh. He sighed. "No... Ohh. Yes, you had better stop."

Barbara moved her hands to his shoulders. "That was very confusing."

He took two slow, deep breaths. "I meant what I said last night."

She nodded. "Me too."

"Now Winston knows, we will have to tell Hillier."

"Winston won't say anything. Let's wait."

Tommy combed his fingers through her hair. "You don't think this will last."

Barbara shrugged. "I don't know. I... want it to."

"Then marry me."

"What? We've slept together once. You're mad."

"No, I'm not. We both know this is right. At least I do. We waited too long."

Barbara kissed him. When she pulled away, she took his face in her hands. "I will never be the wife society expects you to have."

"I don't care about society. They can't keep me warm at night. They can't love me the way you do."

"It was one night, Tommy."

"One glorious night that could be many nights. Should be many nights."

The lift shuddered. Tommy heard a distant crack and rumble before an explosion. Barbara pressed against him. Her heart was racing. "Sounds like they detonated the bomb."

"It was still active then. I hope they got it clear of the children."

The lift door creaked open about an inch. "All clear," Winston called down to them. "Everyone is safe. We will pull you out now."

"Not yet, we need a few more minutes," Tommy called back.

"Sir... I... hurry up."

Barbara laughed. "We're not doing that, Winston."

"Oh, sorry... I... assumed when I..."

Tommy smiled at Barbara "I'm trying to persuade my stubborn sergeant to marry me."

"And you need more time? Just say yes, Sarge. Everyone knows it is long overdue. I'll stall them for a few minutes, but if you haven't agreed by then, my hands are tied."

"You heard him, marry me," Tommy said as he kissed her again. This time he held nothing back as he tried to convince her of his love.

As the door began to move, they broke apart. She looked up at him. "Was that an order?"

"It can be if that's what it takes to get a..."

Barbara laughed. "I am never going to be obedient, but yes, I will marry you."

Tommy did not care who was watching. He gave her a loving smile then bent forward and kissed her again.

* * *

"I just came to congratulate you... ah... Lynley? Havers?"

Tommy could not stop smiling. He looked up into the red face of his boss. "Thanks, Sir. News travels fast. Barbara has just agreed to be my wife."

Hillier's mouth moved up and down but no sound came out. Eventually, Tommy saw his shock turn into a softer expression. "Then congratulations both of you for saving the day and..."

"Saving each other," Barbara said before tugging Tommy back into a kiss.


End file.
